Excalibur 5-Tray Clear Door w/Timer

Capacity Each of the Excalibur’s five 15-by-15-inch slide-in trays hold a full 4 cups of hearty stew, so our tester was able to dry five different two-serving entrées in one go. The rear fan provides even airflow over all the trays at once.

Settings Temperature adjusts from 105°F (good for preserving enzymes in “raw” cooking) to 165° (hot enough for jerky), while a built-in, 26-hour timer let testers set it and forget it.

Clear door “I’m embarrassed to admit how much I used this feature,” says one cook. “I could check on my food as I walked past, without losing heat.” Careful handling: The plastic frame around the clear polycarbonate cracked when a tester dropped the door, which made the unit noisier (like a box fan on high).

pro tips Line trays with microwave-safe plastic wrap or parchment paper for easy clean-up; throw frozen fruit straight on the trays for about 10 hours to make a quick, easy trail snack.

$270; excaliburdehydrator.com